Deep within the heart of the Everfree Forest, the Castle of the Two Sisters, once an emblem of harmony and unity, had become a theatre of chaos and discord. The ancient castle, shrouded in the mystique of the Evergreen Forest, now bore witness to a battle that eclipsed its past majesty. The night air, thick with magic, crackled with an intensity that sent tremors through the ground beneath.
Inside the castle, the staff and guards were caught in a paralysing dilemma. They stared in sheer terror at the aerial combat unfolding above them. This was a nightmare that no one had ever foreseen: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the revered royal sisters, were locked in a cataclysmic duel that threatened to tear the very fabric of their kingdom apart. Their majestic forms, silhouetted against the backdrop of the moon and sun, were almost unrecognisable in their unfettered rage.
The castle's walls groaned as magical bolts of immense power erupted from their horns, rending the night air and causing shockwaves that shook the halls to their foundations. Chunks of stone and debris rained down upon the cowering staff, who could do nothing but watch in awe and terror as their once-beloved princesses unleashed their immense and destructive powers. The castle guards, whose solemn duty was to protect their princesses and maintain order, now found themselves torn between their loyalties. They had no precedent, no training for such a situation, and uncertainty clung to them like a shadow.
Should they intervene and attempt to halt the cataclysmic battle? Or should they remain vigilant in their posts, guarding the remains of the castle and its surviving inhabitants as the rulers they swore to protect unleashed their fury upon each other? The decision was beyond their grasp, as their rulers' emotions and powers raged unchecked in a bitter conflict that threatened to consume everything around them.
The battle seemed to last for hours, days even, with the heavy stone walls of the Castle of the Two Sisters bearing the scars of destruction. In truth, mere minutes had passed since the first bolt of magic was cast, but the tensions that had led to this devastating conflict had been building for months. The atmosphere within the castle had been charged with an ever-present pressure, akin to the ominous growth of a massive storm on the horizon.
Now the rumbling clashes between the royal sisters echoed throughout the ancient hallways, as if the very castle itself groaned in anguish. Their once-unbreakable bond had fractured, and the remnants of their sisterly love had given way to anger and bitterness. The ponies caught under the maelstrom huddled together, their faces etched with raw horror at what they wer witnessing. Some of them whispered prayers for the return of the peace they had known for so long. Others looked at one another, sharing a silent understanding that this was a conflict of a magnitude never before witnessed in Equestria. The very foundations of their world seemed to be crumbling along with the castle walls.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the horrific struggle was over. The castle, once a symbol of ancient sisterly power, now lay in ruins. An uncomfortable silence descended upon it as the first rays of the dawn painted the sky in soft hues of orange and pink. The terrified ponies inside, still cowering in fear, slowly emerged from their hiding places.
Of the two sisters who had engaged in this bitter duel, only one remained. She spent barely a second calming the shocked servants and soldiers, her eyes revealing a mixture of sadness and resolution. The evidence of the conflict was plain to see in her soot and blood stained fur, mottled with raw looking patches of bare skin when magical flames had scorched her. There was no denying that her aura of power had shifted, and her appearance had altered. Something had changed in her demeanour, and her new appearance bore witness to the price paid in this sororal battle.
No pony dared to ask after the fate of the younger sister, for fear of drawing down the wrath of the new, lone monarch. The castle staff and guards, while relieved that the destruction had ceased, couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation about what this new era would bring to Equestria under the sole rule of Princess Celestia.
Although she had no way of knowing it, Princess Luna had been imprisoned for three agonising days. Held immobile in the depths of the dungeon, her powerful magic suppressed by unbreakable chains and enchantments, she had nothing to occupy her time but her own thoughts. In the utter darkness that enveloped her, all she could do was await her fate at the hooves of her sister and think.
The silence of the dungeon was punctuated only by the distant echoes of her memories. She contemplated how she had come from being a noble royal alicorn, the guardian of the night and a cherished ruler, to a prisoner in this desolate and lightless abyss. Her heart ached with the weight of her actions and the consequences they had wrought.
Did anypony know what had happened? Did they understand the depths of the animosity that had erupted between the once-inseparable sisters? She longed to know whether her subjects were safe, whether they were sheltered from the storm of her own making.
The thought of the royal castle above, now reduced to rubble and memories, haunted her. What fate had befallen her sister, and what had become of the world she had once co-ruled? In this dank and solitary prison, Luna could only imagine the uncertainty and turmoil that had swept through Equestria, while she remained trapped in her own nightmare.
She had been so close with her sister. They had stood together, side by side, facing and overcoming the most formidable challenges Equestria had ever known. From the tumultuous defeat of Discord to the relentless battle against the dark menace of Tirek, they had forged a unity that seemed unassailable. It was a bond that transcended their roles as mere rulers; it was the foundation of sisterhood.
Together, they had ascended to the throne of Equestria, a shared journey guided by the wisdom of Starswirl the Bearded. It was meant to be a throne they would rule together, harmonising the control over the celestial bodies they both possessed. But a rift had grown between them, as subtle and final as the changing of night to day.
Celestia had come to believe in the supremacy of the day, favouring the radiant sun over Luna's cherished night. Although they both held the power to control the celestial bodies, Celestia's insistence had led to the division of their rule into the dominion of night and day. This division, while meant to ensure Equestria's harmony, had become the seed of discontent that ultimately flourished into a destructive force.
The castle itself, a reflection of their divided rule, had borne witness to their growing tension. Luna's heart ached at the realisation that the very division meant to maintain harmony had become the catalyst for their bitter estrangement, ultimately culminating in the internecine battle that had torn them apart.
As days and nights passed, Luna felt herself being systematically excluded from the affairs of state. Grand councils and summits, decisions that affected the very core of Equestria, increasingly transpired beneath the bright light of day while she toiled in the shadowy corners of her domain. Her voice, once an equal pillar in the governance of their land, grew distant and hushed, drowned out by the blaring dominance of the sun.
Celestia's desire for supremacy had moulded the throne around herself, insidiously tightening her grip on the reins of power. The message became undeniably clear: she was the sole ruler of Equestria, and Luna's once-significant role had been relegated to mere symbolism. Luna had watched in silent despair as the throne meant for two had been reshaped into a solitary seat.
Desperation had pushed Luna to plead with her sister for reconciliation. She had begged Celestia to consider ruling by consensus, to find a way to harmonise their roles rather than decreeing from a position of solitary authority. But her pleas had fallen upon deaf ears, and Celestia's resolve had remained unyielding.
Luna's heart had ached with the realisation that the sister she had once known had transformed into a ruler whose thirst for power eclipsed their shared mission to protect and guide Equestria.
The fear that Celestia would transform into an autocratic dictator, ruling Equestria with an iron hoof and unchecked power, had grown too great for Luna to ignore. The weight of this looming threat pressed upon her, and she knew that challenging her elder sister was a grave risk, both for herself and for the land they had sworn to protect. Luna, however, had reached a point where the risk of inaction outweighed the uncertainty of the outcome.
In the shadows of moonless nights, she had practised tirelessly, honing her abilities, and pushing herself to the brink. She had studied forbidden tomes, unlocking spells of incredible might. Luna believed that if it came to a battle for the throne, she had a chance of emerging victorious. She had become a warrior in the silent darkness, ready to confront the very sister she had once adored.
The fateful day arrived when, at the point of Luna's victory, Celestia unleashed her ultimate weapon. A weapon Luna never believed would be turned upon her – the Elements of Harmony. These magical artefacts, symbols of unity and harmony, were not meant to be wielded for selfish desires, but this was exactly what Celestia had done. It was a blasphemous corruption of their intended purpose, a betrayal of the very principles that had once bound them as sisters and rulers.
In that moment of betrayal, Luna's heart ached, for it was not only her sister who had changed but the very essence of Equestria itself, corrupted by the misuse of its most sacred artefacts.
Luna had no doubt that Celestia had been utterly poisoned by the jealousy that came with the position she now clung to so desperately. The crown had become a heavy weight, crushing the sisterly love and unity that had once defined their rule. What would become of Equestria under such an uncompromising leader, who seemed deaf to the wise counsel of friends and advisors alike?
Luna's heart was heavy with dread as she envisioned a future where her sister's power remained unchecked. It was a bleak and uncertain path that she could now only imagine. The thought of a ruler who would rule by decree, without the wisdom and balance of their shared reign, filled her with an overwhelming sense of despair.
Her love for Equestria and its subjects was unwavering, and she feared what might become of them under such a ruler, one who had allowed her hunger for power to blind her to the needs and aspirations of the ponies she once swore to protect. Luna found herself trapped between her devotion to her subjects and her duty to confront the sister she once adored.
After that maddening wait, a blinding light heralded the appearance of Celestia, the bright and radiant white alicorn. Her immaculate appearance contrasted starkly with Luna, who lay bedraggled and soiled on the floor of the cell, held prostrate and immobile. Luna could see a visible change in her sister. Celestia's once soft pink mane and tail, which had once mirrored the gentle dawn, had transformed into something ethereal and surreal, with rippling rainbow colours that danced with an otherworldly beauty. The aftereffects of wielding the Elements of Harmony for such a wicked purpose had unjustly bestowed upon Celestia a godly aura.
But that wasn't the only change Luna noticed. Her sister's eyes, once warm and filled with wisdom, now had a hardness that Luna had never seen before. The softness and compassion that had defined Celestia had been replaced by an unyielding resolve. It was as if the very act of wielding the Elements had left its mark on her, not just in appearance but in her very essence. Luna couldn't help but feel a shiver of foreboding in the face of this new Celestia, a ruler unrecognisable from the sister she had once known and loved.
After what seemed to be a harrowingly long silence, Princess Luna spoke with a dry rasping voice, “Hast thou come to decide Our fate, Sister?”
Still Celestia simply gazed at her sister, seemingly enjoying the sight of her defeated and humiliated sibling. As Celestia continued to circle the perimeter of the cell, Luna felt a rising sense of panic. Her sister's silence and the hint of a smile on her lips, as if she were relishing the torment of this moment, sent shivers down Luna's spine. The air in the frigid cell grew heavier, and Luna couldn't help but wonder if Celestia had descended so far into madness that she found sadistic pleasure in drawing out whatever punishment awaited.
The silence stretched, the weight of it pressing down on Luna, and she found herself bracing for the inevitable judgement her sister would pass upon her. It was a torturous wait, one that left Luna grappling with fear and uncertainty, and a growing sense that the Celestia she once knew had become an unrecognisable stranger.
“What will it be? Are We to join Discord as a statue in the palace grounds? Will thou send Us to Tartarus to enjoy the company of Tirek? Speak Sister, for hast thou chosen execution?”
Celestia tilted her head to one side and then bent down to whisper into Luna’s ear “Nay Sister, these punishments doth not seem fitting to send the message We wish the subjects of Equestria to hear."
The sound of Celestia's armoured hooves, clacked around Luna, as her sister stalked around out of sight behind her.
“We want it to be known that not Thou, or anypony, shall be tolerated to challenge My rule." Celestia continued, in an unnervingly urbane tone, "Thou will not be hidden in Tartarus, nor hung with ivy in My palace gardens. Nor shall thou be ended, as thine rebellion wouldst be soon forgotten."
Once more The white alicorn strutted around, so that Luna could see her despite her bound head. Celestia's voice now took on a coldness that was at odds with her more familiar kindliness.
“Thou shalt be banished to the place of Thine own naming," came Celestia's judgement, from which there was no appeal, "Every night, in what was Thou domain, it will be plain for every pony to see the consequence of Thou disobedience.”
Luna's heart sank as the realisation washed over her, the crushing weight of defeat bearing down on her spirit. The judgement of her sister, the one she had once shared the throne and her deepest bonds with, was indeed utter and final. Banishment to spend eternity alone, with no hope of release, was a fate more grim and desolate than she could ever have imagined.
In the depths of the dungeon, the silence echoed her despair, and Luna's eyes, once filled with the light of the night sky, now mirrored the infinite darkness she was about to face. Her banishment was not just from the realm of Equestria but from the warmth of sisterhood and the love she had cherished, leaving her with nothing but the chilling emptiness of her isolation.
“Sister, how can Thou contemplate such vengeance?” Luna's voice was a horrified whisper, "for thine own sake, think over what has brought this conflict betwixt Us."
Celestia drew herself up to her full, imposing height, her voice resounding with regal authority as she bellowed in the royal voice, "Thou hast challenged Our power, and thou must be made an example of. We could have assigned thee royal duties, offered thee a place within the realm of Our rule, but thou would not accept thy subservience to Our crown."
The dungeon walls seemed to close in as Celestia's words echoed through the cold and unforgiving cell. Luna, immobile and humiliated, listened in silence, knowing the magnitude of her sister's pronouncement.
"We shall rule Equestria alone," Celestia continued, her eyes burning with an unwavering resolve, "Both the day and night will be held sway to Our will. The darkness of thy rebellion shall not be tolerated, and from this moment forward, darkness is all thou shall know."
The weight of the words hung heavily in the air, sealing Luna's fate with an irreversible decree that left her with nothing but the bleak eternity of isolation. Luna summoned her strength to use the royal voice in reply, “Thou shalt be the dictator of all Equestria, ruling by force alone? Be careful of Thy wishes, Sister, for thou mayst receive them."
"Receive them, Sister?" hissed Celestia, contemptuously, "We have done nothing less than seized them."
"Thou know'st nothing of the night, not the dreams of Our subjects," spat Luna, sneering at her sister's hubris, "The crown shalt be heavy on thine head, and thou'st shall never rest easy for fear of guarding it through both day and night!"
The last thing Luna heard was Celestia's screams of rage, a haunting echo that resonated in the cold, dimly lit cell. In that fateful moment, the world around her seemed to shatter, replaced by a blinding flash of radiant light that engulfed everything. As the brilliance faded, Luna's surroundings transformed before her eyes.
Gone were the stone walls and the suffocating confinement of her cell, replaced by the vast expanse of the clearest night sky she had ever seen; a shimmering sea of stars that stretched beyond the horizon. Luna stared, her eyes wide as the tears froze on her cheeks.
The unrelenting coldness of the void stung her, but it wasn't this that paralyzed her. Her limbs remained bound by the unyielding magic chains, leaving her unable to move. Her own magic was still nullified by the runes and enchantments etched into every link. It was here, in the desolate expanse of the moon, that the true horror of her situation became terrifyingly clear.
The barren landscape of the moon, marked by craters and unforgiving silence, sprawled out before her. Luna was alone, cut off from the warmth and familiarity of Equestria, condemned to an isolation that seemed infinite. She fought to scream with a breath that would never come, to release the torment that welled up inside her, but her voice was unheard and unheeded by the barren wasteland that was now her prison.
Luna gazed out at the starlit night, her heart heavy with the realisation that her existence had been reduced to the lonely silence of the moon, a world away from the sister she once knew, and the Equestria she had once loved.